PLATYUBA. 63 



dusting ; metanotum dark brown, shining. Abdomen dark brown, 

 moderately shining ; base of 1st segment and posterior borders 

 of all the remainder with a distinct, moderately wide, pale yellow 

 band. Belly yellow ; genitalia consisting of two small yellow 

 narrow appendages. Legs : coxae and femora brownish yellow, 

 tibiae and tarsi darker. Wings pale grey, tips pale blackish as far 

 inwards as the tips of the upper branch of 3rd vein and the oth 

 vein. 



Length 5 millim. 



Described from one female in the Indian Museum, taken by me, 

 23. ix. 08, at Darjiling, 6000 feet. 



15. Platyura vicina, sp. nov. 



5 . This species is considerably like P. marginata, differing 

 essentially in the much darker thorax with still darker stripes ; 

 the shoulders being pale yellowish and conspicuous. The 

 scutellum and metanotum are also dark shining brown ; the 

 abdominal bands are wider than in P. marginata . The basal 

 segment is wholly dark brown. 



Length 4 millim. 



Two females in the Indian Museum from Naini Tal, 3. vi. 09. 



16. Platyura venusta, Walk. 



Platyura venusta, Walker, Ins. Saund., Dipt. pt. v, p. 421 (1856). 



$ . Head brownish yellow, frons blackish, vertex black, with a 

 little whitish reflection in certain lights ; scape brownish yellow, 

 flagellum black. Thorax bluish black, with bluish grey reflections, 

 the dorsum with short black hairs ; apparently some longer stiffer 

 lateral bristly hairs. Viewed from in front three black stripes 

 can be more or less distinctly seen. Sides of thorax bluish black 

 with whitish grey reflections ; scutellum and metanotum con- 

 colorous. Abdomen black, with short black pubescence ; a cream- 

 coloured, well-defined band to the hind margins of the 2nd, 3rd, 

 and 4th segments. Genitalia inconspicuous. Legs brownish 

 yellow, coxae with whitish reflections ; base of femora, especially 

 the hind pair, blackish ; tibiae and tarsi blackish ; anterior tibiae 

 with comparatively small spines of unequal length, hind tibiae 

 with longer spines of equal length. Wings pale grey, tip blackish; 

 venation normal. Halteres brownish yellow. 



Length 6 millim. 



Type. The location of this is unknown. 



Eedescribed from two females in the Indian Museum, from 

 Bareilly, United Provinces, 15-22. iii. 07, and Chittagong, Assam, 

 14.vii. 08, the latter taken by Lt.-Col. Hall. There are four 

 specimens in the Pusa collection, from Pusa, 16. iv. 07, iv. 08, 

 v. 07, and from Chapra, Bengal. 



